Field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology offers the ability to implement and change user-designed logic with software programming of the device. This capability eliminates the mask and non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs associated with application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip development and provides other benefits, like field programmability, which FPGA customers find advantageous.
One drawback for FPGA technology, however, is that it is far less efficient in silicon area than the standard-cell technology used in ASICs. Thus, a typical function implemented in an FPGA utilizes a larger silicon area and, consequently, higher unit costs that traditional ASICs. In particular, FPGA logic density can be from 50 to 100 times less efficient than the standard-cell logic commonly used for ASIC core logic.
In addition to the higher silicon area and associated costs, FPGA logic consumes more power and offers lower performance than ASIC logic. This results in FPGAs being suited primarily for low-volume applications and applications where changing industry standards can quickly obsolete a fixed ASIC.